Imagine this: a tiny country, situated amidst its enemies in constant threat of war, is capable of economic prosperity and world leading technological breakthroughs. What country is this, you may ask – Israel.
This is an impressive feat compared to its neighbors who have hundreds of billions of dollars in oil revenue and nothing to show for it. For instance, Iran, a leading oil producer, must import refined oil.
The status between the Palestinians and Israel is one of high complexity. Although the Palestinians elected Hamas, a government whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel, Israel still provides Gaza with roughly 60 percent of its electricity. Israel is trying to do everything it can to stop suicide bombers, establish a Palestinian state and achieve peace.
In 2000, the Palestinians were offered 97 percent of the West Band and Gaza to establish a state. They refused. One difference between Jews and Palestinians is that Jews would settle for whatever small fraction of land was offered, while Palestinians would not compromise. The physical size of Israel at its founding was a fraction of the original mandate proposed by Great Britain.
Israel and the U.S. are great allies. Both of these countries have much in common. The U.S. prides itself on being a leader of human rights and a beacon for democracy, while Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East. People in Israel have more rights than people in any Islamic Country in the Middle East.
It is easy to see why Israel receives financial aid from the U.S, but where does all this money go? It is easy to see the progress Israel has made with the use of foreign aid. Israel is now the 2nd largest technology center in the world. Advances in technology and science developed in Israel are shared with the rest of the world, including both Intel’s Core 2 Duo Processor and the cell phone. Israel is an irreplaceable asset in today’s world.
Examine how the Palestinians utilize their foreign aid. The only thing that comes to mind is education. Their textbooks don’t have Israel on the map. Instead, the map has a large Palestinian state. They disguise their desire for peace through artificial peace talks aimed at stealing Israel’s land. If they truly wanted peace, they could have had it any time since Israel was established. During the peace talks in 2000, the Palestinians said they would give peace if Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders.
Why then was Israel forced to make a preemptive strike to protect itself from Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq in 1967? In 1967, the Arab countries said the war was because they wanted the 1948 border. Then why did Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq attack Israel in 1948? It is because they don’t want Israel to exist. No matter what Israel gives up, no matter how much the Palestinians are appeased, they will never accept peace with Israel.
